Mathews expected to go vs. Seattle

Tests on Ryan Mathews’ right ankle were negative and indications are that the rookie running back will play Sunday at Seattle.

Mathews wore a protective boot and was said to be “sore” a day after leaving the game in the first quarter.

Mathews had five carries for 26 yards and two receptions for 29 yards before leaving.

Said head coach Norv Turner: “He was off to a great start … of what was going to be a very big day.”

Kept on the sideline much of the fourth quarter in the season opener due to a decline in play after his second-quarter fumble, Mathews fumbled again Sunday and then got hurt. Through two games, when playing and not fumbling, Mathews has been highly effective. He has 24 carries for 101 yards and three catches for 31 yards.

Turner reiterated what he said Sunday, that Mathews needs to secure the ball better. But Turner is not worried about a player who fumbled just three times in his collegiate career.

“He’s gotten off to a good start,” Turner said. “I’m excited about what he’s doing. We were smiling this morning, talking about the things he needs to do. He’s a sharp guy. He gets it. He’s not going to get down on himself.”

Goal line pick ’em

The Chargers don’t plan on Sunday being the last short-yardage touchdowns by Mike Tolbert.

The fullback-tailback stepped in for Mathews Sunday, carrying 16 times for 82 yards and two touchdowns (from 2 and 1 yards). Even when the 218-pound Mathews returns, it won’t be unusual to see the 245-pound Tolbert subbed in at the line.

“I like both of them at the goal line a lot,” Turner said. “You get down in there and things get real tight, obviously Michael is alittle bit bigger and has more experience in our goal line runs. But I see both of them being in there at the goal line.”

On further review

Turner believed when it happened Sunday that Jaguars cornerback David Jones did not possess the ball as he went out of bounds, but Turner didn’t challenge the second-quarter interception ruling because Chargers coaches did not get a good replay to look at until Jacksonville had run a number of plays.

“We had a tough time getting replays during the game,” Turner said, referring to the fact that because the game was televised so sparsely around the country there were not many camera angles available.

Turner said referee Terry McAulay told him McAulay could not overturn the call on Mathews’ first-quarter fumble because there was no conclusive replay.

Turner said the failed challenge on Mathews’ fumble also played a part in him not challenging the interception. Still, Turner acknowledged he probably should have challenged the interception anyway.

Third down trouble

The Chargers had two sacks, three other tackles for loss and four quarterback hurries. Jacksonville got just two field goals on three drives that began in Chargers’ territory. The Chargers’ six takeaways were the result of two excellent strips, a ball batted at the line, a quarterback hit and some athletic plays in coverage.

But the Chargers were not pleased with one aspect of their defense. A week after holding Kansas City to 1-of-11 on third down tries, Jacksonville made a late run to finish 6-of-12.

“We did a great job getting people in third-and-long and we need to take advantage of that,” Turner said. “They converted too many third downs in the fourth quarter.”

The Jaguars actually were 1-for-4 in the fourth quarter, including 0-for-3 on third-and-long. But they converted all three of their third downs over seven yards in the third quarter and were 4-for-5 overall.

No news is no news

There was no news on the Vincent Jackson front, though speculation abounds.

It is known the Minnesota Vikings are still considering making a trade for the receiver, though not whether they’re willing to meet the Chargers’ certainly lofty demands. The exact price being asked for Jackson is not known, though it is likely more than a team would be willing to give if they’re essentially renting Jackson with a one-year contract.

Jackson must be traded by 1 p.m. Wednesday in order to be eligible to play in his new team’s fifth game.

Nuts ‘n’ Bolts

• Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman said his Achilles’ had only the expected soreness Monday following his season debut.

• Left tackle Brandyn Dombrowski, who came out of Sunday’s game after being leg whipped early in the fourth quarter, has a bruise and is expected to play at Seattle.

• Cornerback Antoine Cason’s final takeaway Sunday wasn’t officially known until Monday. His tackle of Jaguars backup quarterback Luke McCown on Jacksonville’s second-to-last play resulted in McCown tearing his ACL, ending his season. Cason had two interceptions and forced a fumble.

• Sunday’s game was the first in Chargers history where the two teams combined for one punt. Jacksonville did not punt, and the Chargers tried to twice but one was blocked.

• Approximately 12,000 tickets remain for the Chargers’ next home game, Oct. 3 against the Arizona Cardinals.